Turkey Day: Sage Pesto — The Ultimate Thanksgiving Condiment
I know I've been no stranger to pesto on this site, but you have to admit, it's a pretty versatile condiment. Sage is the key herb in Thanksgiving cooking and pairs well with pretty much any Thanksgiving dish (except maybe pumpkin pie...but then again, might it be wonderful baked into the crust?!).
Last year, I served this pesto with roasted delicata squash that had been drizzled with a little bit of maple syrup. At Friendsgiving this year, I served it with a loaf of sourdough and some fresh ricotta. You could also throw it in mashed potatoes, slather it on turkey, or even make a Thanksgiving leftovers pizza with a sage pesto base. The opportunities to use this pesto are endless and it's also nice because you can make it a few days ahead to save time, which is what I did this year.
I was lucky enough to snag some fresh sage from Wisconsin from Scratch's herb wall while I was in Madison this weekend. It was sweet and pungent and homegrown fresh. While this luxuriously local sage would be ideal, it can also easily be bought at your local grocery store, usually in the produce section in a little plastic box. Either way, you'll end up with a savory and sumptuous pesto for all your Thanksgiving (and Thanksgiving leftover) needs.
Sage Pesto
Makes: ~1.5 c. pesto
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
2 boxes of fresh sage
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/3 c. walnuts, toasted
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
dash of salt. plus more to taste
1/2 c. olive oil
1 tbsp. honey (optional)
Method:
1. Place all ingredients except olive oil in the bowl of a food processor. Run the food processor until the ingredients are uniformly chopped. It was will be chunky and thick.
2. With the food processor running, slowly pour olive oil into the drain spout (if using a blender, remove the rubber center of the blender and pour it in there). Keep adding olive oil until the pesto becomes smooth (you may use more or less than the 1/2 cup).
3. Taste for flavor balance. I added a bit of honey (as I'm prone to do) to smooth things out, as well as a bit more lemon juice and salt. Sage can be an intense herb, so you want a nice blend of flavors, allowing the sage to shine through but not overpower.
Serving Suggestions:
Roasted Delicata Squash: Roast semi circles of delicata squash in the oven at about 425 degrees until golden. Serve with spoonfuls of pesto scattered over the squash.
Sage Vinaigrette: Add a spoonful of the pesto to equal parts olive oil and a light vinegar to create a sage-infused salad dressing. Toss with greens, pepitas and goat cheese.
Sage Mashed Potatoes: Stir a few spoonfuls into mashed potatoes with a little bit of butter for some herby spuds.
Leftover Turkey Sandwiches: Slather a spoonful of this pesto on your leftover turkey sandwiches. The REAL moist-maker (Friends reference, anyone?).
Leftover Turkey Pizza: Make a pizza with leftover turkey and roasted sweet potatoes and use sage pesto as the base. Top with mozzarella...magic!
